Dragontongue
A clan of Drakanites formed in the early 600's branching off of the Blackburn Clan, returning to predominantly fire-based roots. Over the years this has come with a not necessarily exclusionism of ice magi back into the mother-clan, a handful of ice Drakanites still dot the Dragontongue Clan. Over the years, the clan has been otherwise silent within Frostvale, either serving it's people as Nivis, or as shadows tending to the back-alleys where no Nivismen dare tread without a squad as back-up. Otherwise in that regard they are a rather peaceful family filling many walks of life within Frostvale. Members of the Dragontongue, generally, show reverence to Ryujin, but are not exclusive to other divinities, respecting sub-faiths and heresies, so long as they are not as obscure as plague worship. Specific Physiology Purebloods - Unlike the average pureblood, Dragontongue purebloods, until their first full shift, are less capable of completing a first half-shift and in turn are limited to a non-augmenting quarter shift. The Quarter shift varies in meager degrees based on the affinities of magic the Dragontongue Drake has, common fire Drakes baring simple green scales, and varieties of other sub-tones are common as well, while it's not easily discernible water drakes will have a slight blue undertone to the belly-scales of their quarter shift as an example. Quarter Shift - An almost entirely aesthetic change in composition, shifting the skeleton to grow additional vertebrae that form into a tail and develop short, straight horns atop the crown of the cranium. The tail in question, until roughly the age of 18 in most Dragontongues will be nubile, and non-prehensile, literally out of their control to a degree, pain responses will still supersede the idle probing of the nubile tail. At the age of 20 the final scales for the quarter shift's tail will start to form, covering and changing the color of the scales to properly fit their affinities, at this stage, the whole tail of a water drake will become a vibrant sapphire-like blue. The quarter shift tail, by age 19, usually becomes prehensile and with training can potentially functional as though it were a third arm, only lacking digits, this prehensile nature is inexplicably lost when in full shift, and begins to become less prehensile between the quarter and half shift. While not 100% accurate, the Quarter shift is a fairly consistent sign that the individual Dragontongue is indeed a pureblood. Silver Eyes - Often times resultant of a malady within the womb, this is a known pox of the Dragontongue clan, members of the clan that have this color of eye have a moderate risk of going blind before they reach the age of twenty, generally however, if they can make it over the 20 years hurdle they are considered safe from the genetic blindness. Traditions The Passing - With the founding of the clan in the wane of the year 600, Thepir Dragontongue planned ahead of the game, setting up a tradition with the clan's first heir, his own son. The Trial within the passing, something that is entirely up to the discretion of the head of the clan, be it interpersonal, or a quest for Dragontongue the Heir must meet the expectations of the head before they may be considered worthy of the blade. This Tradition stood for over 200 years, until it was broken by Arina Dragontongue in the year of 822, where a brief time of a non-head state occurred. Dragontongue - A family blade forged from crimson-tempered Mithril, dapperred with a fittingly draconian influenced knuckle-guard which follows the shape of a Dragon's tail. Upon it is a short Draconian runic sentence translating directly to "The Warrior of holy dragon fire." in common tongue. The runic sentence bestowing a mild potency to fire and light magic as well as baring more force to it's strikes than the true weight of the weapon would lead those who view it to believe. Fifth's Night- A day of usual nothings, drinking, and convergeance of the elders and the head of the clan, where plans for the year are discussed, it stems from the Ruthemian age starting in 710. Additional to clan personal matters sometimes Frostvalen politics can leak in, in which they debate if any concerns are prominent to bring to the current king of the city. Clan Heads Thepir Dragontongue 585-670, head from 600-655 Prior to his separation in the form of a revelation by Ryujin's Flame, he was referred to as Thepir Blackburn and wielded a nameless blade, now known as Dragontongue, the lineal namesake. He was defeated by his grandson in single combat as trial to be given the blade that had been his life long companion, the latter fifteen years after the event were filled with waning health. He pioneered and founded the predominant Dragontongue traits, including the warm hair tones and pure-bloodedness setting precident with his wife Molrend. In his wake he left a few plans for the Clan, even bestowing the family name unto his nameless companion by the time in Teryd's possession. The Tradition of the passing was born. Teryd Dragontongue 634-711, head from 655-710 In his years leading the Dragontongue Teryd was known go have a passion for Ryujinite worship, praying idly for sometimes days at a time with little to no food or water while in isolated prayer. He often missed the Fifth's Night Traditions of the clan, established shortly after Thepir's heading, and often seen fraternizing with many women, it is entirely to speculation that he was guilty of perusing non-drakanites actively, with no confirmed individuals coming forth at the time, it will remain such. A man of polygamy he had two wives, an odd proclivity when he had chosen his heir to inherit Dragontongue, a duel between the two eldest sons from each of the mothers. An ultimative test of strength, the loser would be turned away in shame. The day of their duel came and many hours passed, fringing from dawn to dusk with only minutes to spare in the day, it was ultimately declared, whence both collapsed that they were both fitting for the position. Rhuthemes Dragontongue-Nelmond and Ffandemes Dragontongue-Grisken Rhuthemes- 698-717, head from 710-717; Ffandemes 696-750, head from 710-742 A mutually despondent and passively aggressive reign for three years over the clan, Ruthemes lived a harsh life, often times requiring support and even tangibly stating "That was a close one." at the end of the day, his dying words, by testament before a Frostvalen Petty court as his fellow's final words being. "I suppose fate caught up with me, that or Ryujin decided enough was enough." Found innocent of having involvement in the death Ffandemes proceded to give his half-brother a funeral unrivalled within the clan to this day, a priest of Ryujin and a massive pyre in the late clan head's honor atop the summit of Norkraig. Adopting the Dragontongue name in full, and allowing his remaining siblings and half siblings to do the same without opposition, leading into for the first time, the full clan's bond being never stronger. As he ran out of active ideas, plans, and marvels, Ffandemes turned to Ryujin and prayer as his father had been a fanatic of. As the annals of time passed, Ffandemes aged, without a wife, and without an heir, he had chosen his youngest sibling, a paultry seven years his junior, to be his heir. Oramnyd Dragontongue 703-760, Head from 742-757 Easily of the most accomplished Dragontongues within his time as the head, Oramnyd called upon his two elder brother's mistakes to guide him through tasks, even advocating the prior head, Ffandemes, as an advisor in his faithfulness to Ryujin. Prayer and guidances, Oramnyd was known to be a mild kraus worshiper, and was noted to never even quarter shift. He brought the social awareness to be open about faith. Despite his religion's view upon non-humans, the 'sub humans' as dictated by the book of Kraus, he chose to endure as a child of Ryujin, Kraus worshiping Dragontongues became the slightest more common and the openness proved to be a positive outlook. Additionally he had come to clean up fifth's night to be a more sober, and less alcohol focussed event and a more sophisticated gatherring, focussing more on Ryujinite faith, seeking through his flames for Guidance, than politics, but still baring some political requisites all the same. In his waning years as head, he could feel his health slipping, his final conscious action as he drifted slowly into paralysis in chosing his heir, sending Vandys Dragontongue to a cave at the base of the Spiral mountain to clear it and retrieve Dragontongue from it's interior. With the success of his chosen coming to him in personal view, he drifted into a life ending coma, lasting three years before he was declared deceased. Years of mourning passed before Vandys passed the blade onto his own son, an uneventful rule of the clan. Vandys Dragontongue SR. 749-800, head from 757-790 His 43 year reign, uneventful as it was, did not come without progress for the sake of the clan, he brought the clan to their home, the Dragontongue common ground, a compound ranging at an approximation of 50 hetcres of mixxed grounds, including potato farms and frost-wheat, with a heafty 30% yield going to stockpiles each year, used either as feed for chickens, or fertilizer . Additionally introducing rune forging and common smithing to the occupational focusses that youths of the clan had access to allowing for a healthier, and more self-sufficient atmosphere for the Clan to live under, weathering the plague with relative comfort compared to the Wanderer's Valley, however the mild seclusion came at the cost of security from the Nivis. In turn this lead to the compound, after the plague era, being moved five miles closer to Frostvale. Vandys Dragontongue JR. 773-822, head from 790-821 The child of the second most prosperous of the clan, and with little desire to live up to expectations, Vandys' reign consisted of mostly the same actions as his father, keeping the clan safe, making sure food stores were high incase of plague, often trading grain for Samjim jerky to have a small variety in storage, little variety is better than no variety. The lone exception to the non-active reign of Vandys was a small purchase of Water filtering devices, set up within kitchens to every home, to help cleanse future plague water, towards the end of his reign, with little need for them, these filters became derelect and dissused. His mind bored to tears over his reign a premature passing, to a particular youth, one who showed prodigial promise in his short life span, Garza Thepir Dragontongue, baring the name of the man who began the clan in the first place as a given name seemed a prime candidate to take his place. Category:Family Category:Organisation